दाश उवाच त्वं गृहाण महाभाग पत्नीं कुरु नृपात्मज । पुत्रोऽस्या न भवेद्राजा वर्तमाने त्वयीति वै
The fisherman said: Take her, O greatly fortunate one, make her your wife, O prince; but her son shall not become king while you are alive.
गाङ्गेय उवाच मातेयं मम दाशेयी राज्यं नैव करोम्यहम् । पुत्रोऽस्याः सर्वथा राज्यं करिष्यति न संशयः
Gāṅgeya said: This daughter of the fisherman shall be my mother; I will not take the kingdom; her son will certainly rule, without doubt.
दाश उवाच सत्यं वाक्यं मया ज्ञातं पुत्रस्ते बलवान्भवेत् । सोऽपि राज्यं बलान्नूनं गृह्णीयादिति निश्चयः
The fisherman said: I know your words are true; your son will be strong, and surely, by his strength, he will take the kingdom.
गाङ्गेय उवाच न दारसंग्रहं नूनं करिष्यामि हि सर्वथा । सत्यं मे वचनं तात मया भीष्मं व्रतं कृतम्
Gāṅgeya said: I will certainly not marry, in any way; my words are true, O father, I have taken the vow of Bhīṣma.
सूत उवाच एवं कृतां प्रतिज्ञां तु निशम्य झषजीवकः । ददौ सत्यवतीं तस्मै राज्ञे सर्वाङ्गशोभनाम्
Sūta said: Hearing this vow, the fisherman gave Satyavatī, radiant in all limbs, to the king.
अनेन विधिना तेन वृता सत्यवती प्रिया । न जानाति परं जन्म व्यासस्य नृपसत्तमः
By this arrangement, Satyavatī was united with Śantanu; the noble king does not know the further birth of Vyāsa.
युधिष्ठिरादीनामुत्पत्तिवर्णनम् सूत उवाच एवं सत्यवती तेन वृता शन्तनुना किल । द्वौ पुत्रौ च तया जातौ मृतौ कालवशादपि
The account of the birth of Yudhiṣṭhira and others. Sūta said: Thus Satyavatī was united with Śantanu, and two sons were born to her, but both died due to the force of time.
व्यासवीर्यात्तु सञ्जातो धृतराष्ट्रोऽन्ध एव च । मुनिं दृष्ट्वाथ कामिन्या नेत्रसम्मीलने कृते
From Vyāsa's seed was born Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was blind; when the sage was seen, the desirous woman closed her eyes.
श्वेतरूपा यतो जाता दृष्ट्वा व्यासं नृपात्मजा । व्यासकोपात्समुत्पन्नः पाण्डुस्तेन न संशयः
Because she appeared in a white form when she saw Vyasa, the king's daughter, Pandu was born from Vyasa's anger—of this there is no doubt.
सन्तोषितस्तया व्यासो दास्या कामकलाविदा । विदुरस्तु समुत्पन्नो धर्मांशः सत्यवाक् शुचिः
Vyasa, pleased by her, through the maidservant who knew the art of desire, begot Vidura, who was a portion of Dharma, truthful, and pure.
राज्ये संस्थापितः पाण्डुः कनीयानपि मन्त्रिभिः । अन्धत्वाद्धृतराष्ट्रोऽसौ नाधिकारे नियोजितः
Though Pandu was the younger, he was established in the kingdom by the ministers; Dhritarashtra, due to blindness, was not appointed to authority.
भीष्मस्यानुमते राज्यं प्राप्तः पाण्डुर्महाबलः । विदुरोऽप्यथ मेधावी मन्त्रकार्ये नियोजितः
With Bhishma's approval, the mighty Pandu obtained the kingdom; and Vidura, intelligent, was appointed to the work of counsel.
धृतराष्ट्रस्य द्वे भार्ये गान्धारी सौबली स्मृता । द्वितीया च तथा वैश्या गार्हस्त्येषु प्रतिष्ठिता
Dhritarashtra had two wives: Gandhari, known as the daughter of Subala, and the second, a Vaishya woman, established in household duties.
पाण्डोरपि तथा पत्न्यौ द्वे प्रोक्ते वेदवादिभिः । शौरसेनी तथा कुन्ती माद्री च मद्रदेशजा
Pandu also had two wives, as declared by the Vedic scholars: Kunti, the daughter of Shurasena, and Madri, born in the land of Madra.
गान्धारी सुषुवे पुत्रशतं परमशोभनम् । वैश्याप्येकं सुतं कान्तं युयुत्सुं सुषुवे प्रियम्
Gandhari gave birth to a hundred sons, exceedingly splendid; the Vaishya woman too bore one beloved son, Yuyutsu.
कुन्ती तु प्रथमं कन्या सूर्यात्कर्णं मनोहरम् । सुषुवे पितृगेहस्था पश्चात्पाण्डुपरिग्रहः
Kunti, while still a maiden in her father's house, first bore Karna, charming in form, from the Sun; later she was married to Pandu.
ऋषय ऊचुः किमेतत्सूत चित्रं त्वं भाषसे मुनिसत्तम । जनितश्च सुतः पूर्वं पाण्डुना सा विवाहिता
The sages said: O Suta, excellent among sages, what is this wondrous thing you are telling? A son was born before, yet she was married to Pandu.
सूर्यात्कर्णः कथं जातः कन्यायां वद विस्तरात् । कन्या कथं पुनर्जाता पाण्डुना सा विवाहिता
How was Karna born from the Sun in a maiden? Tell in detail. How was she again a maiden and then married to Pandu?
सूत उवाच शूरसेनसुता कुन्ती बालभावे यदा द्विजाः । कुन्तिभोजेन राज्ञा तु प्रार्थिता कन्यका शुभा
The Suta said: Kunti, daughter of Shurasena, when she was a child, O twice-born, was requested as a maiden by King Kuntibhoja.
कुन्तिभोजेन सा बाला पुत्री तु परिकल्पिता । सेवनार्थं तु दीप्तस्य विहिता चारुहासिनी
She, the girl, was adopted as a daughter by Kuntibhoja and, with a lovely smile, was appointed to serve the radiant sage.
दुर्वासास्तु मुनिः प्राप्तश्चातुर्मास्ये स्थितो द्विजः । परिचर्या कृता कुन्त्या मुनिस्तोषं जगाम ह
The sage Durvasa arrived during the four-month vow, O twice-born; Kunti served the sage, and he became pleased with her.
ददौ मन्त्रं शुभं तस्यै येनाहूतः सुरः स्वयम् । समायाति तथा कामं पूरयिष्यति वाञ्छितम्
He gave her a sacred mantra, by which, when invoked, a god would himself come and fulfill whatever desire was wished.
गते मुनौ ततः कुन्ती निश्चयार्थं गृहे स्थिता । चिन्तयामास मनसा कं सुरं समचिन्तये
After the sage departed, Kunti, remaining at home to test it, thought in her mind: which god shall I invoke?
उदितश्च तदा भानुस्तया दृष्टो दिवाकरः । मन्त्रोच्चारं तया कृत्वा चाहूतस्तिग्मगुस्तदा
Then the Sun arose and was seen by her; reciting the mantra, she invoked the blazing one at that moment.
मण्डलान्मानुषं रूपं कृत्वा सर्वातिपेशलम् । अवातरत्तदाकाशात्समीपे तत्र मन्दिरे
From his orb, taking on a human form of surpassing beauty, he descended from the sky and appeared nearby in that chamber.
दृष्ट्वा देवं समायान्तं कुन्ती भानुं सुविस्मिता । वेपमाना रजोदोषं प्राप्ता सद्यस्तु भामिनी
Seeing the god, the Sun, approaching, Kunti was greatly astonished; trembling, she immediately experienced the consequence of her womanhood.
कृताञ्जलिः स्थिता सूर्यं बभाषे चारुलोचना । सुप्रीता दर्शनेनाद्य गच्छ त्वं निजमण्डलम्
With joined palms, her lovely eyes shining, she spoke to the Sun: 'I am greatly pleased by your appearance today; now return to your own realm.'
सूर्य उवाच आहूतोऽस्मि कथं कुन्ति त्वया मन्त्रबलेन वै । न मां भजसि कस्मात्त्वं समाहूय पुरोगतम्
The Sun said: 'Kunti, by the power of your mantra I have been summoned—why have you called me here, yet do not honor me, though I stand before you?'
कामार्तोऽस्म्यसितापाङ्गि भज मां भावसंयुतम् । मन्त्रेणाधीनतां प्राप्प्तं क्रीडितुं नय मामिति
'O dark-eyed one, I am overcome with desire; unite with me, filled with devotion. By your mantra I am under your control—take me now to enjoy together.'
कुन्त्युवाच ॥ कन्यास्म्यहं तु धर्मज्ञ सर्वसाक्षिन्नमाम्यहम् । तवाप्यहं न दुर्वाच्या कुलकन्यास्मि सुव्रत
Kunti said: 'I am a maiden, O knower of righteousness, and I bow to you, the witness of all. I am not to be reproached, for I am a noble family's daughter, O virtuous one.'